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Sinusitis (sinus infection)
Sinusitis is swelling of the sinuses, usually caused by an infection. It's common and usually clears up on its own within 2 to 3 weeks. But medicines can help if it's taking a long time to go away.
Check if you have sinusitis
Sinusitis is common after a cold or flu.
Symptoms of sinusitis include:
pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead
a blocked nose
a reduced sense of smell
green or yellow mucus from your nose
a sinus headache
a high temperature
toothache
bad breath
Signs of sinusitis in young children may also include irritability, difficulty feeding, and breathing through their mouth.
What are the sinuses?
How you can treat sinusitis yourself
You can often treat mild sinusitis without seeing a GP by:
getting plenty of rest
drinking plenty of fluids
taking painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen (do not give aspirin to children under 16)
avoiding allergic triggers and not smoking
cleaning your nose with a salt water solution to ease congestion
How to clean your nose with a homemade salt water solution
A pharmacist can help with sinusitis
A pharmacist can advise you about medicines that can help, such as:
decongestant nasal sprays or drops to unblock your nose (decongestants should not be taken by children under 6)
salt water nasal sprays or solutions to rinse out the inside of your nose
You can buy nasal sprays without a prescription, but they should not be used for more than 1 week.
Find a pharmacy
Non-urgent advice:
See a GP if:
your symptoms are severe
painkillers do not help or your symptoms get worse
your symptoms do not improve after 1 week
you keep getting sinusitis
Information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: how to contact a GP
It's still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:
visit their website
use the NHS App
call them
Find out about using the NHS during COVID-19
Treatment for sinusitis from a GP
If you have sinusitis, a GP may be able to recommend other medicines to help with your symptoms, such as:
steroid nasal sprays or drops – to reduce the swelling in your sinuses
antihistamines – if an allergy is causing your symptoms
antibiotics – if a bacterial infection is causing your symptoms and you're very unwell or at risk of complications (but antibiotics are often not needed, as sinusitis is usually caused by a virus)
You might need to take steroid nasal sprays or drops for a few months. They sometimes cause irritation, sore throats or nosebleeds.
A GP may refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist if, for example, you:
still have sinusitis after 3 months of treatment
keep getting sinusitis
only have symptoms on 1 side of your face
They may also recommend surgery in some cases.
Surgery for sinusitis
Surgery to treat chronic sinusitis is called functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).
FESS is carried out under general anaesthetic (where you're asleep).
The surgeon can widen your sinuses by either:
removing some of the blocked tissue
inflating a tiny balloon in the blocked sinuses, then removing it
You should be able to have FESS within 18 weeks of your GP appointment.
The ENT UK website has more information about FESS.
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Page last reviewed: 02 February 2021
Next review due: 02 February 2024
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